Convertible wagon-box.



PATENTED JULY 12, 1904.

S. G PAULSON.

CONVERTIBLE WAGON BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. 1904.

3 SHEBTb-SHEET 1- NO MODEL.

No. 764,672. PATENTED JULY 12, 1904. S. C. PAULSON! CONVERTIBLE WAGONBOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. 1904.

MODEL QBHEBTS-SHBET 2 PATBNTED JULY 12, 1904 s. 0. PAULSON. CONVERTIBLEWAGON BOX.

AIPLIOATION FILED MAR. 26; 1904.

3 SHEBTS-SHEBT 3.

N0 MODEL.

A fizz/anion SarmjfiPazzZswz. I By 722': 62222729;

zl/z'fizssai am. A

UNITED STATES Patented July 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CONVERTIBLE WAGON-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,672, dated July 12,1904.

Application filed March 26, 1904.

Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConvertible VVagon- Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of.

the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved wagon-box ofsimple, strong, and eiiicient construction which is adapted to bequickly converted into different forms for different uses; and to thisend it consists of the novel devices and combinations of deviceshereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompa nying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a wagon-box designed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectiontaken on the irregular line 00 m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevationshowing a portion of the wagon-box with the parts thereof adjusted asshown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1,but illustrating a different adjustment of the adjustable parts of thewagon-box. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line wa ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail in vertical section on the line 0; m of Fig.3, some parts being broken away and some being shown in full. Fig. 7 isa vertical section approximately on the line 1' m of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 isatransverse section approximately on the line 120 m of Fig. 3. Fig. 9 isa transverse section approximately on the line 01: w of Fig. 3. Fig. 10is a vertical section approximately on the line f l m of Fig. 4, andFig. 11 is a section approximately on the line m m of Fig. 4.

The numeral 1 indicates the body of the wagon-box proper, which body isshown as bolted to transverse body-beams 2. Anglebrackets 3 are boltedto the projecting ends of the beams 2 and to the sides of the box 1 tobrace the sides against outward spreading Serial No. 200,082. (Nomodel.)

movements. Metallic straps 4 are bolted to the inner surfaces of thesides of the box 1 by means of nutted bolts 5 passed through the saidparts and through the vertical portions of the angle-brackets 3, as bestshown in Figs. 6 and 7. At their 'lower ends the straps 4 are formedwith hooks 6, that inter: lock with staple-bolts 7, which bolts arepassed downward through the beams 2 and. are provided at their lowerends with nuts 8. The bottom of the wagon-box is cut away to affordclearance for the hooks 6, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The front and end boards of the wagon-box 1 are slid downward intoworking position in channels formed by parallel flanges 4, formed on theend members of the straps 4. The usual tie-rods 11 are passed throughthe sides of the wagon-box at its ends to assist in hold ing theside-boards of the box against spreading movements. When the end-boards,the tie-rods, and the bolts 5 are removed, the sideboards of the box maybe detached by turning them inward, so as to disengage their hooks 6from the staple-bolts 7. When the said hooks and staple-bolts areengaged, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, they assist in tying together thesides and bottom of the box.

To form extensions to the box described and to render the sameconvertible to different forms, I provide supplemental side-boards 12and. 13, supplemental end-boards l4 and 15, and so-calledfilling-boards? 16.

The

supplemental side-boards 12 are provided in Vertical line with thestraps 4 of the bodybox 1 with metallic straps 17, secured thereby bynutted bolts .18, passed through said boards 12 and, as shown, alsothrough out side stiffening-straps 19. (See Figs. 8 and 10.) At one endsaid straps 17 are formed with projecting hooks 20, and at their otherends they are formed with projecting hooks 21. The said hooks 20 and 21are adapted to be inserted into recesses 22, formed in the sides of thebox 1, and their ends are adapted to be interlocked with perforations23, formed in the upper ends of the straps 4, as shown in Figs. 8 and 10and as will hereinafter more fully appear. The bodies of the hooks 20project parallel with the straps 17, while the bodies of the hooks 21project at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees to the saidstraps, so that when the parts are interlocked as shown at Fig. 8 theside-boards 12 will stand in a vertical position, while when the partsare interlocked as shown in Figs. 5 and 10 said boards 12 will stand atan incline of approximately forty-five degrees. Figs. 2 and 8 show theside-boards 12 turned with one edge up, while Figs. 5 and 10 show thesaid side-boards with their other edge turned up, and it will be notedthat that edge of the board shown in Fig. 8 is cut at a right angle tothe face of the board, while that edge shown at Fig. 10 is beveled. Itwill also be noted that the ends of the so-ealled stiffening-straps 19in both positions of the boards 12 engage as stops with the upper endsof the brackets 3 and cooperate with the interlocked hooks and straps 1to limit the outward lateral movements of the said sideboards 12.

The end straps 17, like the end straps 4, are provided withinwardly-projecting parallel flanges 17, which form channels that areadapted to receive the end-boards 14. Tierods 24 are preferably passedthrough the ends of the side-boards 12 to further tie them together whenthe parts are adjusted as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 8.

The side-boards 13 are provided with inner straps 25 and outer straps26, which are bolted thereto by short nutted bolts 27. These straps 25and 26 are adapted to aline vertically with the straps 17 and 19,respectively, of the side-boards 12, and the end members of said straps25, like the end members of the straps 4 and 17, are formed withinwardly-projecting parallel flanges 25, which form channels adapted toreceive the ends of the end-boards when the parts are adjusted as shownin Fig. 2. The lower edges of the side-boards15 arenotched at 13 to formseats adapted to receive the hooks 20 when the parts are adjusted asshown in Figs. 5 and 11 and to receive the hooks 21 when the parts areadjusted as shown in Figs. 2 and 9. Furthermore, the lower edges of thesaid side-boards 13 are beveled, as shown at 13", so as to form tightjoints with the engaged edges of the side-boards 12 under bothadjustments of said parts.

The lower ends of the straps 25 are formed with shoulders 25*, adaptedto interlock with the ends of the hooks 20 when the parts are adjustedas shown in Figs. 5 and 11, and the depending ends of the straps 26 areformed with sockets 26, adapted to interlock with the hooks 21 whent heparts are adjusted as shown in Figs. 2 and 9. When the parts areadjusted as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 8, and 9, tie-rods 28 are advisablypassed through the ends of the side-boards 13 to tie them together.VVhenthepartsare adjusted as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 10, and 11, the outeredges of the filling-boards 16 are adapted to fit into thc'channelsformed by the flanges 17 a" and 25, respectively, of the end straps 17and 25. At their inner edges the filling-boards 16 have bolted orotherwise rigidly secured thereto channel-irons 29, which are adapted tobrace and hold the ends of the end-boards 14:.

At their bases the angle brackets 3 are formed with projecting studs 30,over which are adapted to be telescoped the lower ends of tubular postsor struts 31, the upper ends of which when the parts are adjusted'asshown in Fig. 5 are adapted to be inserted over depending studs 32,formed on the outer straps 19 of the side-boards 12. These posts orstruts 31 support the greater part of the load put upon the inclinedside-boards 12.

When the parts of the wagon-box are adjusted as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,8, and 9, a very high wagon-box with vertical sides and ends isprovided. Such a box is desirable for a great many different purposessuch, for instance, as for carrying pigs, sheep, and cattle, or forhauling grain in sacks. For many other purposes,howeversuch,forinstance, as hauling grain in bulka wide-top box or graintank of greatercarrying capacity is desired, and this, as is evident, is afforded byadjusting the parts as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 10, and 11. When the partsare adjusted as shown in the views just noted, long tie-rods 33 arepassed through the ends of the upper sideboards 13.

From what has been said it will be understood that the box is capable ofbeing very quickly adjusted from one form to the other, and it will alsobe understood that under either of the adjustments described a verystrong box is provided. It is of course evident that the supplementalside and end boards may be very quickly removed from the box proper,leaving the wagon with an ordinary box. It will be further understoodthat the box described is capable of modification within the scope of myinvention, as herein set forth and claimed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. The combination with a wagonbox proper, of intermediate supplementalsideboards and end-boards, additional upper supplemental side-boards andend-boards, and angular filling-plates, which parts are constructed tointerlock in diiferent adjustments, said filling-plates being used assupplemental end-boards, when said intermediate supplemental side-boardsare turned into inclined positions, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a wagon box proper having vertical straps 1 withupper end perforations 23, of the supplemental sideboards 12, providedat one edge with hooks 20, and at their other edge with the hooks 21,the said boards'12 being beveled at 12, and the said hooks 20 and 21being engageable with the said perforations 23 according to which edgeupwards said boards are turned, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a wagon box proper, of intermediate supplementalsideboards 12 and end-boards 14, and the top supplemental side-boards 13and end-boards 15, and the filling-boards 16, which supplemental sideand end boards have interlocking parts and are adapted to be adjusted,substantially as described.

4. The combination with a wagon box proper having-vertical straps 4 withupper end perforations 23', of the reversible supplemental side-boards12, the end-boards 14, the upper side-boards 13, the upper end-boards15, the angular filling-plates 16, the straps 17, bolted to saidside-boards 12 and terminating at their ends in the hooks 20 and 21,which hooks are cngageable with the perforations 2 23 or said box-strap4, depending straps 25 and 26 bolted to said side-boards 13 andengageable with said hooks 20 and 21, the end members of said straps 17and 25 having respectively flanges 17 and 25 for embracing 5 Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SOREN G. PAULSON. Witnesses:

H. L. SHIRLEY, T. E. KNUDsoN.

